Only the Snow
by EnglishBrat
Summary: Short L/J fluff, I'm taking a break from Lost in Your Eyes...rated for some language. EXTREME FLUFFINESS! You have been warned :) R/R


A/N: Some L/J fluff. What more can I say? 

***

Lily yawned and blinked her eyes open. She was in a deserted common room, a large leather volume of "Everything You'd Never Want to See and More" on her lap. A few embers burned in the fireplace, but apart from that, everything was still. Lily glanced at the clock and smiled. Apparently, 2:00 AM was too late for most Gryffindors even on a Friday night. She stretched her legs and got up to walk around a bit. Having slept off most of the evening, she didn't feel tired at all - quite the contrary, in fact; being alone in the common room at such a late hour gave her a strange sense of exhilaration.

She reached the large window in the side of tower where the common room was located. Presently, it was shielded by a heavy velvet drape that kept out drafts on cold night like this one. Lily suddenly remembered something she'd heard a few students say in the hall. Shivering more from anticipation that from cold, she reached out a slim hand and opened the curtain. 

The sight that greeted her took Lily's breath away. It had obviously been snowing for several hours; the ground was already carpeted in white, bathing the grounds in an unearthly light. The snow was unblemished for now, since no students had had a chance to go outside in it yet. The lake almost glowed beneath the ice, and there was no wind to disturb the scene. Fat flakes still drifted down steadily, adding to the snow already there. Not a soul moved outside, as though the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Lily exhaled softly. 

_Well_, she thought, pulling an armchair over by the window, _I guess it's a good thing I fell asleep. To think people would choose sleeping over this . . . They must be crazy._

She gazed at snow and let her mind wander where it wished. It was as though she was living in a dream, and a particularly good one at that. She stared at the falling snow, the glittering white on the ground, the black limbs of threes outlined in the heavenly color . . . and soon enough, her eyelids began to droop once more, her breathing slowed, and the world around her merged easily with the one outside.

She was out in the snow, wearing a white dress that, logically, could not have kept her warm except in the hottest of temperatures. But she did not feel the cold; only the gentle bliss that comes when one forgets their earthly troubles and soars above them. She closed her eyes and spun around easily in the snow. The landscape shone more than was natural, and although the night was black, it wasn't oppressive or disturbing - just perfect. 

She suddenly became aware of a voice on the wind. Cocking her head, she strained to listen to it. Yes, it was definitely there. And it seemed to be calling her name. 

_Lily . . . Lily . . ._

"What?" she called helplessly to the air. She floundered forward into the wind. "Where are you? Who are you?"

_Lily . . . wake up, Lily . . . wake up . . ._

"Lily! Wake up!" 

Lily's eyes snapped open. She was once more sitting in the armchair, with the smoldering embers in the fireplace and the snow falling silently outside. But another presence had joined hers.

James Potter looked at her in consternation from where he stood at her left. He wore a wrinkled gray T-shirt and boxer shorts, and his hair looked even more disarrayed than usual.

"You really should stop doing that," he said. "First in the evening - everyone was afraid to wake you up, you know, because you're such a beast when woken up."

Lily gave him a flat stare. He hurried on.

"And then now! I assume you woke up between then and now unless you can levitate or something. Sleepwalk, maybe?"

"I woke up," Lily said sullenly. Now that she realized there was only James here, she was beginning to regret that having been pulled from her dream.

"That's great!" James said brightly. "Now scoot over."

Lily arched an eyebrow at him. The chair was huge, made so students could curl up and read, but she frankly didn't relish sharing it with someone else. It would take away the magic of staring at the snow in peace.

"Get your own," she said halfheartedly.

"Eh. The nearest one's all the way across the room. Besides, there's enough room for two in this chair, and you don't really need to be all by yourself while I'm here," he said in a slightly lecturing tone.

Lily, startled at the near mirror of her own thoughts, reluctantly scooted over. James plopped down happily beside her.

"So!" he said. "What are we doing?"

"_I_'m watching the snow," Lily said. She was suddenly keenly aware of how close they were and, consequently, how little James was wearing. She blushed a little at the thought. James, thankfully, didn't notice.

"Typical girl thing," he said, and wriggled deeper into the chair. Lily bit her lip and looked away, blushing all the more. "But I guess I'll go along with it, just this once," James finished.

He clasped his hands behind his hands and leaned back on them, then set his feet on the windowsill at a footrest. He seemed instantly engrossed in the snow, almost more than Lily had been. His forehead was crinkled in thought, and he seemed to have totally forgotten about the circumstances.

Lily studied him pensively, without a sound. The light from the snow outside lit his features perfectly, making him look like an angel sent down from heaven to protect her.

_He is pretty good-looking, _Lily admitted to herself. 

Most girls would squeal and call that the understatement of the year, but it was really the first time it'd occurred to Lily. James was a friend, after all. Maybe not a close one, but she did talk to him when she could and she liked his sense of humor. He was…well, he was a nice guy. Though up to this point Lily had not realized what it was that drew girls to him like flies. She figured it was his charm and good looks - but now she realized that there was more to that.

James oozed confidence. Whatever life threw at him, he could take - and do it while making some silly, sarcastic remark. He was the near-perfect blend of carefree and serious, depending on the occasion, and never doubted himself for a second. It was, Lily admitted to herself, a pretty appealing notion to date a guy who could take care of you as well as he did himself . . . and look good the whole time.  

So there it was. James Potter, one of the most sought-after boys of 6th year, was squished in next to her in an armchair. And she hadn't really realized this until a few second ago. Lily was going out of her mind, and James still hadn't stopped his study of the snow. Lily suddenly felt the impulse to _do _something - find out if James really was all that. She shifted her weight a little so she leaned a little on him. He tensed a little in surprise, then relaxed again. His eyes never left the window.

Lily rested her head on him, closed her eyes, and inhaled.

_He should go a little easier on the cologne, _she thought sourly, dizzy-headed from the effect. Maybe this was why girls went all swoony around him: lack of air.

Still, Lily had to admit, it wasn't entirely unpleasant, and just resting her head on his shoulder sent little tingles down her spine.

_Oh no, _she thought suddenly. _What am I _doing_? This is crazy. I can't rest my head on his shoulder, he's my friend! He's . . . God, he smells good. No! No! James! Remember James!_

But it appeared the only thing she could remember at that moment was the fact that her head was supported by the chest of a _most _attractive boy, and that he didn't seem to mind in the slightest.  On top of that, she found herself running through all the nice things he'd ever done for her, and all the nice things he could do for her, and all the other things, and how cute he'd looked when looking outside, and . . .

_Oh, fuck, _Lily thought. She was feeling slightly panicked. _I need to take my head off right now, before I start randomly lusting after a _friend. _A FRIEND, YOU STUPID BRAIN!  A FRIEND! Move your head, Lily! Move it now!_

But no matter how hard she tried, she could not move her head. On the contrary, she sighed and snuggled a little closer. Inside, her mind screeched, but every other part of her was blissfully happy. She could hear James' soft breathing above her head, feel his chest rising and falling with each one. The heat from his body warmed her now that most of the embers had died out, and it seemed to Lily there could not be a more circumstance in the world.

_Fuck, _she thought resignedly, _who am I to fight destiny?_

James let his arm fall across her shoulder and gently stroked her arm, barely letting his fingers skim her flesh. His presence was soothing, comforting, and just what Lily needed in a world where everything sped by so quickly. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting her breathing slow and her mind stop fretting. Slowly, ever so slowly, she fell once more into the world of dreams.

Outside, it stopped snowing, and the world exhaled - it had only been waiting for this.

***

A/N: Good God. That's gotta be the sappiest thing I've ever written, and there's not even any kissing!! *looks shocked* It is a bit random, I'll admit, but then again, so am I. I was in a sappy mood, I'm a little tired, and it's snowing outside…but where's _my _James? R/R…


End file.
